


Enamored with Emerald

by qjuiq



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:53:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24777946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qjuiq/pseuds/qjuiq
Summary: You managed the accounting department for Odin Automotives. You were amazing at your job, and all you wanted was to get along with your boss.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

You let out a long breath and pull some eye drops out of your purse. The endless review of expense reports and spreadsheets started to wear on you, and your beloved coffee mug emptied hours ago. You rolled your chair away from your desk, getting in a good stretch. You took off your glasses and massaged the bridge of your nose. Today was another day in the office, you sigh to yourself.

The trip to the common room was short, a small luxury of having your own office. Everyone else’s cubicle was spread throughout the floor, not as close as your five-second walk. You’re grateful to see Natasha already mixing her coffee, leaning against the counter. 

“Long morning? You look like you could use some of this,” She knows the drill as she fills up your mug.

“Not long enough. Feels like I got a lot done, but nothing at all.” You take a big snuff of the coffee, the aroma rejuvenating you. “All these reports are making me dream about numbers when I rather dream about other things,” You sipped the warm contents of your mug.

“I feel sorry for you.” Natasha smirked at you as you both leaned against the counter. Natasha appreciated you as a coworker, the two of you having been close classmates back in college. Seeing you from then to know, she knew how hard of a worker you always are. You deserved to give yourself a break, Natasha knew she was a handful to manage, no less an entire accounting department.

“Oh, here comes your man,” She snickers, elbowing you. You both notice the familiar figures walk by the entrance. Your gaze latches on to the raven set of hair. Your heart picked up in pace, and it’s almost as if Natasha could hear it next to you. 

“You know, you're good enough friends with the boss man," She nudges you with her elbow. You knew exactly where this was going; you were best friends with Thor, ever since your college days, however that was not meant to be your foot in the door to his brother.

“I bet he could hook you up with-,” She doesn’t even finish her comment, you spit out your coffee mid sentence. You’re thankful you’re the only two in this room, that would have been embarrassing if you sprayed anyone. 

“Natasha,” You set down your mug and gather paper towels. “I’m not even looking to date right now, thank you very much,” You turn away from the entrance, your tone hushed. 

“Mmhm, keep telling yourself that,” She smirks as she helps you wipe the surfaces. Natasha totally knew you had a puppy love for the brunette. 

You frowned at her. As much as you appreciated the encouragement, even  _ thinking  _ of dating one of your closest friend’s brother was out of the question. You loved Thor too much to even touch that subject with a ten foot pole. “As the saying goes; don’t shit where you eat,” You shove her playfully, making sure you don’t spill your cups. You were a straight shooter in your job right now, and you very much saw a promotion within the next few years. You were not going to allow temptation to creep in.

You did indeed have a small crush on the younger Odinson, ever since you had been in contact with his quiet but forbidding stature. He had been on your mind since you started here. You did not speak to him much, your only relation was work and even then it was mostly Thor doing the talking. You were only close to his brother, and as withdrawn as the sibling was around you, Loki made your heart dance.

You also knew better than to pursue someone that was  _ technically  _ your boss. 

Odin Automotives was a large company, owned by Odin himself. Having retired within the last decade, of course the chairman’s family legacy continued through his children. Thor was the Chief Executive Officer and Loki the Chief Financial Officer. There were quite a few positions between you and Loki, so not overstepping your professional boundaries was a trait you were proud to have.

The meeting today just happened to be on your floor, the elevator and the conference room were on opposite ends of the building. Thor and Loki were on their way, skimming over reports to each other via their tablets. They walk by the breakroom and barely catch the exchange between you and Natasha, Thor lighting up at the sound of your voices.

“Hey guys!” He stops his conversation with Loki to mingle with you both. 

Loki rolls his eyes, checking his watch. They still had ten minutes before the meeting started, and to him if you weren’t early, you were late. He noticed it was the redhead and… You. He leaned near the doorway, arms crossed as he uninterestedly scrolled through his tablet. 

“Mr. Odinson, how do you do.” Natasha gives her signature side smile. Her gaze flicks to Loki for a moment, noticing the brunette staring past Thor. His stare meets Natasha’s and he immediately averts his eyes. She followed his previous line of sight, leading back to you.

“Why Natasha, how many times have I told you to call me Thor even when we’re at work!” He groans. The whine was unsuitable for a man his size, making it all the more hilarious.

You giggle at his reaction. The laugh makes Loki’s ears perk up. “We’ll call you Thor when it’s after five-thirty, we’ve been over this.” You tsk at him. The three of you still got together outside of work; the occasional end-of-the-week drink or weekend cookout was when you all got to reminisce about your earlier days and dream for the future of the company. You and Natasha were close even in the office, but until you left the building, you kept Thor at the respectable distance due to his position. 

“Also, are you on your way to a meeting or not? I never see you or Loki on my floor,” You address them, glancing over the blonde’s shoulder. Getting a good look at Loki, you see his focus is in whatever email he was responding to on his tablet. You inwardly sigh, wondering why you would give mental space to a man that had no interest in you. 

Loki almost lifts his head in recognition, unexpecting to hear his name from you. You don’t notice the tick in his jaw at being addressed. “Yes, it begins in two minutes, so we must get moving, Thor.” Loki speaks. It’s been a while since you’ve heard the velvet timbre of his voice, it almost makes your knees buckle. 

“Yes, my brother and I are very much on our way to a meeting, but I know Loki doesn’t mind,” Thor says. The younger Odinson looks up from his tablet, nearly glaring directly at Thor. He looks towards Loki, urging him with his eyes to come over and talk. He senses and deflects the signals easily. He hated how Thor constantly tried to socialize him with his girlfriends.

The last time you heard him speak just happened to be when you shared an elevator with a few other passengers. Your body naturally hums at the sound, and you can only hope you weren’t blushing. You turn to Thor, “Exactly, so get back to work, you hear?” You tut, the playfulness in your grin giving you away. 

You’re oblivious to the way Loki takes one last look at you as he turns to leave, he wishes he was not so attentive to your presence. Your closeness with his brother always perturbed him, discouraging him to engage in conversation with you. 

Natasha takes note of the subtleties, tucking them away for later. You may not have wanted to get involved with Loki, but he did pay attention to you whether you noticed or not. She smirks to herself, she’ll have to talk to Thor later about her observations. 

“As you wish,” Thor winks at you, following his brother through the doorway. 

“Bye Thor,” You and Natasha wave. You would have tried saying goodbye to Loki, but he was already out of the room. Natasha peered to her side, your body deflated and your expression somewhat defeated. 

“And  _ that’s  _ why I have not asked him out. As if I need any other sign that he isn’t interested,” You trudge out of the breakroom with your coffee, shutting the door to your office. You let out an exasperated breath, already logging back into your computer. 

Natasha remained in the breakroom, thoughtful and sipping on her mug. “Hmm.” She hums. If she could do some more digging, things would get  _ very  _ interesting. 


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a solid week since you last saw Loki on his way to a meeting. You wished you had more assurance in yourself to just be more friendly towards him, but he was your boss. _He was your boss._ No matter how much you wanted to run your fingers through his thick ass hair, or how blue his eyes were and you just wanted to swim in them, you had to repeat the mantra to yourself every now and then to get your head out of the clouds. 

You sat in the cafeteria and texted your mom during lunch. You wanted a bit of space outside of your office, and they had your favorite food on the menu today. You invited Natasha, but she had to work through her meal, the reports on her desk beginning to pile up along with phone calls to make. 

Your mom urged you to come to visit her soon, and you thought that was a great idea, it had been quite a few months since you took a fair break from work. You let her know you’ll think about it and get back to her on what your calendar looks like. You pick up your empty plates and tray, placing it on the conveyer belt near the entrance. 

Thor was on the phone as he walked into the cafeteria, hoping to stay under the radar. “Natasha, I think what you’re suggesting is _very_ plausible, but we both know she would turn the idea down immediately,” He’s hush as he gets in line to grab some food. Thor stands out like a sore thumb, a head taller than everyone in front and behind him. 

The redhead leans back in her office chair, the door closed to her office, and stilettos propped on the desk. “C’mon Point Break, don’t tell me you’ve never noticed your brother glancing maybe a second too long whenever they’re in a room together,” Natasha snickers. She recalls another occasion where after a manager’s meeting, you awkwardly brushed past Loki and he was stiller than stone for the next five minutes. You both were a mess. 

Sure, Loki wasn’t the most social, it was even a feat for Thor to have him over for a family dinner or to get him engaged in conversation outside of business, but had he ever even had the chance to talk to _you_? Have you ever spoken to him outside of a shy hello? Natasha dug through her memory again, not once have you been able to hold a conversation with the sibling.

“I don’t know, have her deliver a paper report to him, he’s her manager anyways,” Natasha shrugs. “Speaking of manager, would you consider that a conflict of interest, boss?” She laughs, knowing his answer.

Thor orders his lunch, slightly hunched as he cups his hand around his phone. “As if I would stand between my dearest friend and what makes her happy, but what in the world makes you think it could be Loki?” Thor whispers, making sure no one around him is dropping in on his conversation. 

“Just a gut feeling.” She states, pressing the end call on her screen. She taps her chin with her phone, contemplating how to execute the idea forming in her head. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if you gave Loki a chance, she thinks. But what if Natasha is wrong? What if he has actually disliked you this whole time? She shook her head, there was no way he hated you, Natasha just knew it. 

Thor is surprised the call ended so suddenly. He tucks his phone into his pocket, scanning his corporate ID to pay for his meal. He grabs the plastic bag, planning to go back to his office for his meal. He walks toward the elevators and notices you leaving the lunchroom, jogging to catch up with you. 

“Greetings!” Thor calls your name, getting your head to turn. He walks in step and looks down at you, smiling. 

“Hey there, big guy. Did you get the special today?” You ask. You knew the food in the cafeteria wasn’t the healthiest, but who were you to turn down a BLT and fries?

“No, I got a salad instead.” He grins. You gag, sticking out your tongue. 

“Oh Mr. Odinson, always the clean eater.” You tease, arriving in front of the elevators. You press the button to go up, your department a few floors up to many to take the stairs. 

“And I’m guessing you got your bacon sandwich?” Thor raises a brow at you. 

“I rather die knowing I had all the delicious food that I could,” You cross your arms. 

“You’ll definitely die sooner with high cholesterol,” He chuckles. 

You look around, making sure there are no other employees near the two of you. You punch him in the arm right as the elevator door opens, Thor laughing through a wince. The elevator door opens, you don’t pay attention to who is inside. 

“That’s what you get, you big oaf,” You laugh triumphantly. Normally your hits were well defended, but you proudly caught him off guard with that one. You look into the elevator, a penetrating gaze immediately meeting yours. Your laughter is cut short as you both step onto the elevator, your throat suddenly clenched like a fist. 

You were not expecting to catch an elevator ride with Loki. You stand near the opposite wall, almost shrinking away from him. 

Loki observed you out of the corner of his eye, continuing to stare straight ahead. Swallowing, he barely opens his mouth, urging to greet you and his brother. He realizes he can’t and shuts his mouth. Ugh, he hated this. He knows how to talk to women, why did being around you make his mouth dry, he wishes he could place the feeling. 

“Gosh, you know I’m right,” Thor grimaces, rubbing his now sore arm as he follows you inside. He looks between the two of you, and for the first time he does feel the shift in the air when you two are within each other’s presence. 

Taking a moment he considers Natasha’s suspicions, Thor thinks of a way to test her theory. “Well, I know that Natasha and myself,” Thor includes your name. “Are planning a get together this weekend. Right?” Thor looks at you.

You sense the blonde’s gaze, squeezing your eyes shut and pinching the bridge of your nose. _Please don’t embarrass me, please don’t embarrass me,_ you spoke over and over to yourself. 

“Yes, we are. I’m bringing the hotdogs,” you mutter, wanting to facepalm yourself. How much lamer could you sound at this moment? You weren’t going to test it. 

“Brother, I’m sure we’d love to have you join us, isn’t that right?” Thor looks over at you, the look he gives you motioning towards his brother. 

Your eyes shoot open, wide-eyed and panicked as you gawk at Thor. You shake your head ferociously, almost trembling as you mouth at him to shut up. 

Loki scoffs, annoyed that his brother would openly tease him in front of you like this. “I’m not interested in hanging out with you and your friends,” He breathes, crossing his arms tightly. “Especially with a company such as yours.” He chides. He wished he could have kept his silver tongue at bay, his nerves getting the best of him.

Your face scrunches, looking past Thor. Was he serious right now? He did not even know you, and you were always cordial to him. “And what is that supposed to mean?” You step around the taller brother, standing right next to Loki. You glare up at him. “Because I know you’re not referring to me,” you’re less than half a foot away from his face, practically glowering at the brunette. 

He didn’t realize his next set of words would stir such a reaction until they tumbled out of his mouth, unconsciously speaking out of his ass. Loki blinks, unprepared at your closeness. His eyes flick between your glowering and your lips, admiring the way your eyelashes shadow over your face, and your lips pursed so angrily your cheeks are almost puffed. 

“You don’t know me or Nat, have never taken the time to get to know us, and I wonder which people would be worth your time once you get that stick out of your ass.” You’re boiling at this point. You hope that Thor understands where you’re coming from; since day one, Loki has done nothing but bristled around you, and you have done nothing but behold him at a distance. But if he was going to judge a book by its cover, then so were you. 

“Take me to HR if you want, Mr. Odinson, but if you’re going to gauge who I am by what you ‘see,’ then you’re as shallow as they come.” Your scowling is matched, face to face with the hardness in Loki’s eyes. His wrinkled forehead and narrowed gaze almost make you shiver, but you’re too pissed to allow your body to rule your mind. 

Loki swallows, momentarily confused as to how he can be so incredibly provoked and turned _on_ at the same time.

Your blood is pumping so heavily through your body, you miss the way his heart is hammering in his chest as well. The elevator dings and you break eye contact, winning the stare-off between you and him. 

“I’ll see you later, Thor.” You turn on your heel and step off to your floor, an angry swagger in your steps as you walk down the hall. It was official: you couldn’t _stand_ Loki. 

Loki exhales, letting out the breath he had been holding when you were as close as you were. Regrettably, he did not expect to come off so rude, he knew it was word vomit that he did not mean, but how many times was he going to have to tell his brother no? He did not want to hang out and barbecue, he did not want to play games and chill on the weekends, and he was not going to allow himself to get close to you. 

Though you had piqued his curiosity and he already found you attractive, you _definitely_ had Loki's interest now. Your mild manners around him contrasted with your boisterous behavior shown towards his brother, and to get a rise out of you made scratched an itch. 

Thor did not realize how right Natasha was until he read his brother’s reaction to you. The way he stared in bewilderment for a split second before putting his wall up, his glare was the same look on his face when he fought and argued with their father. But Loki had looked at you with a look Thor had not seen for a long time. The elevator door closes and he turns back to his brother. 

“Why did you have to do that? You could have been nice,” Thor hisses at Loki. “All I ask is you don’t take her to HR,” he claps his hands together, lightly begging. You really went off on him, but if Thor couldn’t convince Loki, there was no protecting you. 

“There’s no way I’d take that to HR. She attempted to put me in my place, is all.” He grins. 

Thor tilts his head, confusion written in his face. His gut doesn’t like where this is going. 

“What do you mean, brother?” Thor asks. 

“She was right. I shouldn’t have judged her.” Loki shrugs nonchalantly, a plan brewing in his mind. If he ruined his chance to be friends with you, better to be enemies than nothing at all. 

“I think I‘ll get to know her better, brother.” Loki licks his lips with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Maybe Loki would apologize, maybe he wouldn’t but he knew one thing for sure. You were cute when you were angry. He’d be willing to irritate you a hundred more times if that’s the look he’d receive every time. Learning what will make you tick is only going to be _half_ the fun.

Thor shudders. Natasha’s plan was _definitely_ going to take a few steps back before taking a step forward. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Loki have a few discussions.

Aside from making sure the financials of Odin Automotives flourished, Loki made it his new hobby in life to bug the shit out of you. Before, everything that could be handled over email or even a quick phone call, the raven-haired pest thought it worth his time to come to your office in person every single time there were changes to be made or comments to be added. You wondered what in God’s name you did to deserve this, usually, when someone blows up in their face they want nothing to do with them. 

Loki sat in one of the wing back chairs in front of your desk, working his laptop with an ankle resting on his knee. He typed away, pretending to be engrossed in a spreadsheet he was editing. He barely glances above his laptop, seeing you grit your teeth. He holds in a snicker.

His presence  _ irked  _ you. You typed away at your desk and were minding your own business, nothing exciting on your side of the office was going on. Just why did he feel the need to hang out with you? He said what he needed to say and dropped off a report, but then decided to settle in one of  _ your  _ chairs? 

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Odinson, I have an appointment in the next few minutes,” Your voice cuts through the thick air. 

“I don’t think so,” His eyes scan his computer, not even looking up at you. “Your calendar is empty for the day, from what I can tell.” He breathes. You turn in your chair, looking at the vertical booklet pinned to the wall behind you. Damn it. 

“I guess I’m politely asking you to leave,” You stand up from your desk, taking your coffee mug with you. 

“And I suppose I’m politely ignoring it, in case you were wondering,” Loki simpers at you as he raises from his seat, closing his laptop and placing it in his chair. “I did have a question about one of the invoices you sent me,” He follows you to your break room.

“Shoot.” You grumble, walking towards the coffee machine. You pour yourself another cup, adding some cream and sugar in it. 

“How did you lower the purchasing prices of the mirror parts? Did you decide to go with another brand that we’re not familiar with?” Loki asks, leaning against the counter. 

“I did not lower them, if only. Those mirrors are expensive as hell.” You roll your eyes. “They’re soon to be discontinued, which is why they’re discounted. There’s a newer model coming out and I submitted the proposal to you to upgrade to those,” You smirk to yourself. You totally knew he was only hanging in your office to bug you, and it was kind of working. “But maybe if you would have checked your email, you’d have answered that question before asking me.” You raise a brow at him. 

He narrows his eyes at you. “Are you sure you wish to speak to me this way?” He tuts, grabbing the creamer and dumping it generously into your coffee. 

“Hey!” You sputter, pushing him to the side. Loki can’t help but laugh, seeing you have to scramble to fix your mixture. 

You dump the cup down the drain, frowning at him. “Don’t you have other managers to annoy, or is it because I barked in your face you decide to mess with me?” You pour the sugar and creamer into your cup,  _ again _ . You’re still trying to find where your sudden gal came from, speaking to him this way, but you knew the attitude was well deserved. 

“Mmm, I’d say I enjoy micromanaging you the most,” Loki smiles, letting out an amused chuckle. “And you might want to retract your claws before the lion comes out, kitten.” He winks at you, his side leaning a bit closer towards you. The reddening of your cheeks satisfies something in him. 

You’re flush, peeved at his nickname given to you. “Just let me know when he arrives because I don’t see a lion in front of me.” You look up at him. You’re barely a foot away from his face, feeling very similar to the elevator pickle you put yourself in a week ago, but you didn’t care. “More of a hyena, if you ask me.” You give him a solid up down, daring him to speak again. 

Loki visibly swallows, eyes sharp as he stares you down. He was unused to having his subordinate stand up to him, no less a woman that barely spoke to him in the past. You tempted him new ways that were new to him, the way your hips swaggered with every step, how you spoke in such self-assured posture, and just the way your look held such vigor, it let him know you possessed something much deeper, and ire that he hungered for. 

“Has the kitten got your tongue, Loki?” You angle your head, smiling in hopes of invoking a potential temperament. You cross your arms, solidifying in your stance. You felt the spark in the room, the static fueled from standing so close. Just because he bothered you to no end, didn’t make him any less mesmerizing. His ivory complexion atop sharp cheekbones, accented with onyx locks and complemented by sapphire orbs, all pulled together by an intensity you had never stared into before, it all made your stomach woozy. 

“Perhaps.” Loki licks his lips, his eyes were cloudy as he stared at you. Was he about to kiss you? He wouldn’t mind one bit, your smart mouth was too tantalizing for him to miss. Loki leans just a centimeter closer, you can almost feel his exhaled breath on your nose, the man towering you. 

You sense what he could be thinking, desire apparent in his large pupils.  _ It’s a lie _ , you tell yourself. He is mocking you, an inner voice whispers. His dalliance is all an act to you. He was just around to get under your skin and you were reacting the way he wanted you to. You grab your coffee and move back, silently thankful your muscles were able to snap you out of it. 

“Well, looks like my coffee is made,” You clear your throat, making your exit from the break room. 

Loki blinks, dumbfounded you would step away from him. He stares after you, giving a bemused chuckle. The moment you just had, it had been years since he had felt that with anyone. No matter how much you despised him, Loki could handle that. He wonders what it would feel like to be appreciated by you, to have you look at him adoringly versus with contempt. The thought makes him warm in places he would rather not think of. It only takes him a half a second to walk after you. 

You sit back down in your office, moving your mouse to wake your desktop. Loki walks in and picks up his laptop, he lays it on the ground as he sits in his chair. He’s still for a moment, thoughtful as he rethinks a bit of his approach towards you. 

You were a magnificent employee, Lok thought highly of your ability to lead and manage your department. He searched for why he loved teasing you so much, he knew it stemmed from a silly boyish crush he may have, so what? Feelings like that were not meant to be serious, they were meant to be fed and then let go once they have a fill. He looked up to only have you already staring at him, visible disgust written on your face. He laughs softly. 

“Are you going to just sit there and look pretty all day or can I work in my office?” You ask snarkily.

“So you think I’m pretty,” He grins. 

You groan, slamming your head on your desk. You disliked the moment you shared just now, and the best thing for your heart was for him to go away. 

He takes note that you don’t deny it. “I shall take my leave for the day.”

“Promise?” You mutter, thankful he is finally leaving. Your heart was finally calming down, the idea of distancing from him helping tremendously.

“I make no promises.” He gently shuts your door on his way out. His heart still raced, recalling the intensity of your gaze when challenging him just a moment ago. This newness excited him, Loki eager to explore how you make him feel. First, he was very much aware he had to be on your good side, first. 

\-----

The next few days, your guard is slowly let down, unexpecting the change in Loki’s behavior. He was still hung around, but his intent was not as mischievous as before. He spoke when he had something constructive to say, he complimented a few reports you had made well, and he was less irritating in general, smiling at you genuinely a bit more than usual. 

You even started to see the possibility of being friends.

Today’s lunch special was another one of your favorites, and you decided to invite Loki to join you (a nice change of pace from him inviting himself). Loki never ate in the cafeteria until you asked him, and observing the two of you, it was obvious you were both debating about something but it wasn’t serious. The way you held yourself back from jumping as you spoke was comical in itself. 

There’s a part of you that loves having this argument, your suppressed passion for Japanese animation coming to light. “I’m  _ telling _ you,  _ Cardcaptor Sakura _ is the ultimate classic magical girl, and you cannot convince me otherwise!” Your right-hand slams the table, a few of the surrounding conversations pausing mid-sentence. 

“Though ratings-wise, looking at the number of viewers from when it was released till now,  _ Sailor Moon _ is the  _ original _ magical girl,” Loki spoke calmly across the table from you. He didn't peg you as the anime type, and as much of a guilty pleasure as it was, not many knew of his hobby as well. He loves how heated you are about the subject, childishly passionate enough to defend a Japanese cartoon. 

“Are you referencing the statistics of Japanese viewers and English viewers, or just one over the other?” You raise your eyebrow at him, sipping through your straw. His jaw clenches and you jump up from your chair, pointing as you don’t even try to hold yourself back. 

“Ha! Checkmate, sucker.” You laugh triumphantly, fist-pumping the air in front of you. 

“The power of magic or the power of the moon, who would win?” Loki won’t admit defeat.

“Um, Sakura not only rules over the moon and sun, but she is her own star. I’m pretty sure the Clow cards would make Usagi bow down.” Your lip curls, as if stating the obvious. 

Loki’s face puckers sourly. He hates how much you know your anime. He also wonders when would be a good time to invite you over to watch some together. “Don’t think this discussion is over.” He chuckles as he takes another bite of his salad. 

“I won’t think, I  _ know _ it’s over.” You rag, taking a healthy bite of your secret ingredient grilled cheese. “God, I could marry this sandwich.” You moan, mouthful of chewed cheese and toasted rye. 

Loki tries not to grin, your cheeks reminding him of a feasting chipmunk. Adorable, he thinks. “That sandwich doesn’t seem the type to commit, are you sure you want to promise your life to a fleeting moment?” Loki eggs you on. 

“If it tastes this good,  _ hell _ yes.” You dip the last bite into your tomato soup, shoving the piece in your mouth. You chewed happily, your small cloud of bliss causing unawareness to Loki’s stare. 

His crush has grown over the time he’s been able to get you to talk to him. The younger Odinson knew his position in the company was a few above yours, but getting a feel for you as a person? Your even-tempered nature, coated in a few moments of courage & brashness to be true to yourself, and the genuine appreciation for your close friends and colleagues - Loki could not help how his draw to you only multiplied. 

You’re finished chewing, realizing that Loki had been watching you the whole time moan and groan to a goddamn sandwich. You blush, swallowing your food. “What?” 

“I’m just intrigued.” His eyes look from your face down your neck. “It’s not every day I get to see a horse eat hay,” Loki smirks, covering his reason for staring. 

You laugh, urged to push him out of his chair. “Oh Loki, aren’t you quite the jokester.” His face moves in thought, loving the way his name rolls off your tongue. He clears his throat and checks his watch for no time in particular. 

“I appreciate the invitation to lunch. We should do it again sometime.” Loki stands up and picks up his tray. 

“Oh please, you make it sound like you’re done for the day, as if,” you joke. 

Your words have his heart pick up the pace. Were you catching on? Walking together, you both place your trays on the belt, walking to the elevators together. 

“There is another show you should try out, not sure if you’re an active person, but…” You trailed off, unsure if now was the right time to try and take a step forward in your so-called friendship. You’re unsure why Loki had acted so coldly to you before, now it seems you two were able to get along and have a conversation without him purposely bugging you. 

You could ask for his number, that way you can text him about the anime. Ugh, but that would be inappropriate, having your boss’ personal cell just to talk about TV. You look at him and shrug, playing off what you wanted to say. 

Loki presses the elevator doors, wondering where your words would have led to. You both step on, the elevator doors shutting behind. It’s only the two of you in the elevator. He wonders to himself if he can finish your sentence. “If it’s  _ My Hero Academia _ , I am much ahead of the game.” He side-eyes you. 

You laugh, shoving his arm. “I never would have thought we would weeb out together.”

Loki feels his neck flush from the contact, but his hair is long enough to keep his nerves concealed. “I would not use the word weeb, more of a cultural appreciation of Japanese art.” He grins. 

The elevator is not large and you’re hyper-aware of the close in proximity. You’re wondering if you’re imagining it, but your side is warm from his radiating body heat. Naturally, a part of you wants to scoot closer but you refrain. You look to your side, his profile strikingly beautiful even in the dim off-white lighting of the small space. He feels you looking and turns to face you.

Your eyes are dilating as you gaze up at him. Loki’s mouth is dry and his lips hang partially open, his tongue urged to lick his lips. Soft, excitable breaths escape you both, the atmosphere sparking similar to your intimate moment not too long ago. You’re sure this time something is going to happen, you can sense it in the air that Loki’s emotions were synchronizing with yours.

Your mouth moves yet words struggle to come out. You know what you want to say, what’s on your mind that you need to admit to the man in front of you. “Loki, I…” Your cheeks are ablaze, softly speaking as he steps towards you. 

“Yes?” His voice is husky, thirsting for what you have to say. He raises a hand and reaches to cup your face but doesn’t make it in time.

The elevator dings, signaling arrival to your floor. Eyes widening in realization, you are immediately brought down from the clouds. The desire between you two quickly crawled back into your heart and you stepped away from him. 

The door opens all the way, Thor grinning as he sees two of his favorite people inside. You smile at Thor, briskly walking off the elevator and right back to your office. Thor watches you, perplexed as to why you rushed to get away from him. 

“Did I do something?” Thor asks Loki as he steps on to the elevator. 

Loki clears his throat, adjusting his tie as he jams the close door button. “I wouldn’t know,” Thor notices the hoarseness in his voice, raising a brow. 

“Oh, don’t tell me, did  _ you  _ do something?” The corners of Thor’s mouth twitch, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. He  _ totally  _ noticed how much time the two of you were spending together, Thor only thought it a matter of time until Loki asked you out properly. He always picked up on the hints of his brother having interest in you, and lately his suspicions have been proven true. 

Loki shoots Thor a look, obviously irked at the insinuation. “As if.” Loki grunts, staring straight ahead.

The ride is silent for barely a minute until Thor asks the unspoken question hanging in the small room. “So when are you going to ask her out?” 

Loki’s head turns so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash. “She is my subordinate. That would be highly inappropriate of me to coerce myself in such behavior,” He rumbles. 

“But you didn’t  _ say  _ you weren’t going to, that was an excuse you just told me.” Thor crosses his arms. The elevator stops at their floor, they both step off and round the corner to speak in private. 

“I am  _ not  _ pursuing a relationship with her, if that is what keeps you up at night,” Loki snarls, his face taut with annoyance. He did not like that his brother was catching on to his actions, and Loki couldn’t help but lie about it; what would everyone think if they knew he was crushing on you? You could even file against him for workplace harassment if you found out and did not return his feelings. “I could never see myself with her.” He glares. His own words sting his heart, but he felt he was not wrong. You weren’t a woman he deserved to be with, he had his own skeletons that he still dealt with, and you didn’t need to be part of that. 

Thor can only smile to himself, knowing his brother all too well; his denial was definitely a front to how he felt about you, his actions had proven that he indeed wanted something more with you. Why Loki was denying himself a chance at happiness, Thor did not understand nor did he want to. 

“I think you should give it a shot, brother. You never know, she might say yes.” Thor pats his shoulder.

Loki laughs and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t think so, Thor. Also, she is not my type.” He sighs.

“And when has your type worked out for you, Loki?” Thor chuckles. You were nothing like Loki’s previous lovers, Thor thought. The complete opposite of stoney, gold-digging, and ruthless. A certain redhead popped into his head, but he instantly dismissed the thought. “Just think about it,” Thor nods at Loki as he leaves.

Fists clenched at his side, Loki starts to grit his teeth. He wants to know, more than anything, if this was something worth risking it all for. You were an absolute delight to be around, and you may have gotten off on the wrong foot but your honest joy whenever he was around warmed Loki. He may consider his brother’s words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few anime references because I felt like it


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old flame visits Loki, catching everyone in the office off guard.

“Natasha, _quit_ , I’ve already told you to drop it.” You hiss at your friend as you walk down the Executive floor. You both were dropping off reports that Loki specially requested to be printed and given in person. You had a feeling it was an excuse for you to come to see him, but the more you got to know the younger Odinson, you didn’t mind going out of your way. 

“Don’t be cute, you know you guys have been getting along lately.” She smirks, rubbing shoulders with you. You blush, not meeting Natasha’s prying eyes. 

“Anyways, let’s get this over with. We have stuff we still need to do, as you know.” You give her a pointed look, both of you know very well she needed to get her work done and you were the only one that could help her. 

“Oh, don’t act like you’re not happy to see your boyfr - _yow_!” Natasha yips, not ready for the sudden pinch to her arm. 

“Shut up, we are almost to his office.” You can’t help but laugh, miserably failing to hold a frown to your friend. Your inner muse was eating up the suggestions Natasha made of Loki feeling something for you, but you knew better than to indulge in a good thing for too long. 

Loki merely found someone he got along with other than _maybe_ his brother, nothing worth getting excited over. You weren’t going to make that a reason to puff your chest out. 

The both of you stop outside his door, the quiet chatter you can hear from the cracked door makes you stop. You knock, not wanting to interrupt whatever was being discussed. 

“Come in,” A deep, familiar voice sighs at your entering. You sensed exasperation in Loki’s tone as you slowly opened his door. You and Natasha walk in, and you both feel the atmosphere shift in an odd direction at your presence. 

Loki sat at his desk, hands intertwined as he rested his chin on them. He regarded you for a moment before his eyes widened fractionally, looking between you and his guest. 

In the single sofa that was in front of him sat a copper-haired woman, her head turned and long lash extensions assessing you and your coworker. She wore a deep wine, sleeveless turtleneck dress that ended above her knees as she sat with her legs crossed, her slender yet toned arms rested on the headrests of the chair, donning a pink chinchilla coat, and the Medusa necklace she donned along with golden hoops were no doubt, Versace. 

It doesn’t take a lot for you to put two and two together that Loki was very uncomfortable. Whoever this woman was, you gather these two either have a history together or her wealth comes from a position of influence, which is what was making your boss so stiff. A small part of you hoped it was the latter. You clear your throat and look to Loki but he averts his eyes. You nod your head in understanding, walking over to his desk. 

“I’m not sure if you want Natasha and me to go over these reports now, but let me know how you’d like to proceed.” You say. You wait for his response, his head hung as he rests his face in his hands. You could feel the tension rolling off of him, the woman in his office raising a brow at you. 

“We have reports for you, Mr. Odinson,” Natasha adds, laying her report on his desk atop yours. 

“Yes, I will…” Loki exhales. “I will email you later to go over these.” His gaze is strained as he only meets your eyes for a half-second as if silently begging you not to talk about anything important in front of this woman. You look to Natasha and jerk your head towards the door, she understands you two are to leave. 

You both walk out of the office, Loki staring at your back as you close the door behind you. 

“Well, as I was saying, how do you feel about dinner, Lo?” The woman simpers, crossing her legs so her dress rides up her thighs. 

“I don’t feel anything about dinner, Sigyn.” He grumbles. “I appreciate you stopping by to say hello while you’re in town, but my schedule is busy as it is.” Loki narrows his eyes at her. 

He was not excited that his ex was back in town. Loki knew that her intentions were ingenuine, whether it be a simple hello or worse, wanting to get back together. He _especially_ disfavored the fact that you were indirectly exposed to the red-headed viper, Loki can only hope you don’t assume anything is going on between him and Sigyn. Luckily, from what he could tell, Sigyn noticed no particular favor of his towards you, he hoped you wouldn’t get caught in the crossfires. 

“And if you’re only stopping by, don’t you also have your business to tend to?” Loki leans back in his chair, hands held in his lap. 

“I certainly do, dear Lo. Why, is there something wrong with me visiting my oldest beau?” She smiles, her sharp pearly whites baring to him.

“Keyword oldest, not current.” Loki sneers. He saw a photo of her and her new boyfriend just the other day in the tabloids, unsurprised it was a celebrity. 

It had been years since he and Sigyn had split. They were steps away from him popping the question until Sigyn flipped on him and told him the truth, that she enjoyed being taken care of and that she wouldn’t have been with him if he planned on taking her so seriously. Loki remembers the day his heart was broken over the gold digger that sat across from him. The memory makes him frown. “C’mon, we had so much fun together, you can’t say that we didn’t.” She cooes.

“We had fun together only when I paid for everything, even though you have your own wealth to feed on.” Loki sneers. He didn’t understand how she made him the butt of her joke; Sigyn was a trust fund baby, she didn’t need him for anything except for when he made her feel wanted and desired. 

“At least have _one_ dinner with me while I’m in town.” she pouts.

Loki grimaces, he knows that he shouldn’t be feeding into her, period. But he also knows if he doesn’t give her what she wants right now while she is around, she will somehow find a way to bother him again. 

And if she sticks around too long, she will catch on that he has moved on to someone else. The last thing he wants is her digging into his life finally found without her. He exhales, rubbing his temples with his hands. 

“Send me your hotel. Be ready by seven on Friday.” He grits through his teeth. He had a few days to mentally prepare, thankful it was only Tuesday. Sigyn stands up from her seat, walking over to slither her arms around his shoulders.

“I’m happy we’ll have time to catch up, Lo.” She giggles, her curls falling in front of his face. He swats them away as if he stepped through a cobweb.

“Yes, yes, now go, I have work to do.” He grumbles, rolling his chair away from her. 

The only thing missing from Sigyn’s victory walk was a trophy as she strolled out of the office. A scoff catches her attention outside the door, a familiar blonde leaning against the outer wall. Thor raises a brow at Sigyn, and the red-head is happier than a child in a carnival when she sees him. 

“Thor! What a pleasant surprise to see you, old friend,” She practically purrs, fluttering her eyelashes at him. He rolls his eyes, his frown only curling downward further. 

“What are you doing here, Sigyn?” He hisses. He knew they were in the middle of the work floor, but he didn’t want to draw attention to confronting her. He takes a step back before she gets into his bubble, and not many people have restrictions on Thor’s personal bubble. 

“What? Am I not allowed to ask an old friend out to a meal?” She pouts.

“Ask? From what I heard just now, you twisted his arm just so he could get you out of his office,” Thor raises a brow. 

“Either way, Thor, my darling Loki and I are going out as friends. I want to catch up a little, see what my little prince has been up to,” The twinkle in her eye unsettled him as she strode past. “Don’t worry big guy, it’s nothing to worry about,” 

Every muscle stood rigid until Thor made sure she rounded the corner and was out of sight. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Walking into his brother’s office, the ravenette was face down on his desk, letting out a long, exasperated groan.

“Why did you say yes to dinner?” Thor closes the door behind him. 

“It was either yes or she would stay like the leech she is,” Loki sits up, dragging his hands down his face. “The worst part is you-know-who saw Sigyn,” He swallows, knowing you sensed the odd vibe between the two. He hoped you didn’t think there was anything going on. 

\----------

The rest of your afternoon was a haze. Your blood pressure was slightly elevated, images of the redhead sitting across from Loki entering your thoughts throughout the rest of the day. 

You knew Natasha planned on leaving early today, so you didn’t bother waiting for her as you closed your office door. Locking it you blink a few times. Get yourself together, you tell yourself. You never had anything going on with Loki, anyways, and even if you do you should trust your friendship enough to know he’d be honest if you asked. 

You walk to the elevator and check your phone out of habit. No emails or texts from him, you frown. You step inside and lean against the back wall, part of you hoping not to run into him. You were fickle with your emotions; one moment you’re dying to hear from him, the next you don’t even want to be near him - you definitely had it bad for Loki. Your palms tingled with nerves as they grip the rail. The elevator stops on the way down, and of course the universe would want to have another reason to laugh with you - the devil himself walks in as you’re trying to push him to the back of your mind. 

Loki is looking down at his phone as the doors open, when he looks up to meet your eyes he quickly looks back down, almost sheepish as he leans against the opposite wall of you. He’s distracted, though you didn’t want to assume you knew what it was about. 

You cock an eyebrow at him. “Are we going to the same floor?” You nod your head towards the key pad. 

Startled, he shoves his phone in his pocket, “O-Oh, yes, yes.” 

Your fearless boss _never_ stuttered over anything. He didn’t reply to your emails yet, and he hasn’t even stopped by your office the rest of the day after you and Natasha dropped off your reports. You’re irked but not enough to give him space. 

“Alright, you’re acting weird, Odinson,” Your voice startles him, making him jump a foot in the air. 

“Whatever do you mean?” He shoves his phone in his pocket, clearing his throat. 

“You’re not acting like you normally do,” You say over the descending dinging of the elevator. You were only a few floors away from your stop, enough distance between here and there to squeeze something out of him. “As in, I’m used to you bugging me enough to you not bugging me, bugs me.” You attempt to joke but see his face contort slightly in discomfort.

“What I do with my time is up to me and none of your concern,” Loki’s on the defense, his eyes sharp as he finally looks at you. 

You test the waters, your gut telling you his coldness is a knee-jerk reaction for the ravenette. You feel like you’ve gotten to know him well over the time you’ve been spending together, you can’t go from bickerings like kids and lunches together to cold shoulder. You didn’t get that impression from him and you weren’t wary of pushing the boundaries of… whatever this has turned into. 

“It has to do with your visitor earlier, doesn’t it?” You raise a brow. He blinks as if seen reaching in the cookie jar with the mention of the redhead. 

Loki did not want to delve into the topic of agreeing to dinner with his ex, that was the last thing he wanted to talk to you about. But hadn’t you started to develop a steady friendship with each other, always talking and collaborating more on projects together? He did not want to keep anything from you truly, Sigyn was just not a chapter of his life he wanted you to read just yet. 

Despite that, Loki’s silver tongue was still on guard without realizing it. “As my subordinate, I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” He snaps. “Stick to your duties, nothing more.”

You blink, wincing at the sharpness of his voice. “Hmm. Okay.” You purse your lips, looking away from him. You’re white-knuckling your bag, your head slightly fuzzy from your rise in blood pressure. You’re not going to get mad, that’s what you get for pushing your limit with him you tell yourself. But _wow_ , did you forget how much of a blockhead he was. 

Loki wants to punch himself in the face. God, why did he have such a tart mouth? He couldn’t gauge your reaction, you became silent for the rest of the ride. Regret settles in the back of his throat, the large knot he tried to swallow prevents him from speaking. 

The door opens to the first floor, you step off hurriedly without a word to him. He rushes off behind you, catching your arm. 

“Wait, I didn’t mean that,” Loki explains but you glower at him, shoving his arm off. The heat in your stare scalded him, his hand recoiling as if he was burned. 

“Don’t, don’t even,” You huff, getting in his face. “You’re right, I am your subordinate,” Your voice is full of venom, the lump in your throat the only thing to prevent you from crying right now. If this was how we wanted to treat you, then going back to how things used to be would be a step up. 

“So let’s just keep everything business, and nothing more, right?” You spit. You can’t help but search his eyes for any sign of regret, but you couldn’t harness your anger too much longer. You had to leave, or else it’d be your turn to snap. 

His eyes are wide, distress evident in blue orbs whilst simultaneously growing in the base of Loki’s stomach. This was it, he totally reset the clock between you both. He made you feel like you meant nothing to him, but for you to look at him with such ire.

His heart ached knowing he’s lost you.

“Have a nice evening, Mr. Odinson,” You turn away, waving over your shoulder. You leave through the revolving doors through the lobby leading to the parking ramp. 

You make it to your vehicle and remember to exhale, not realizing you were holding your breath. Your chest quakes, you lean your head on the steering wheel, and you feel a single tear run down your cheek. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine a flirtatious Isla Fisher, almost like Wedding Crashers but not neurotic


End file.
